Four Years
by Remo Con
Summary: MaiValan: Four years have passed since Dart's defeat and Valan disappeared. And Mai's over him...right? When he suddenly shows up at her cash register, her hidden feelings surface, and with them problems she long since buried.


_Disclaimer: (to be sung to the song, er, Reflection I think it is, in Mulan) Look at me, I will never pass for a manga author, or even cartoonist. Can it be, I'm not Kazuki Takashi? Now I see, that I were the writer of Yu-Gi-Oh, the world would be traumatized. Who thinks that I'm that great? That I could makes, a smash hit, when will I finally have to have no disclaimer? When will, finally be rich? (coughs weakly) ignore me, I had too much time on my hands today._

**CHAPTER 1:****_Reapearance _**

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_I wake up in the morning_

_Put on my face_

_The one that's gonna get me_

_Through another day_

_Doesn't really matter_

_How I feel inside_

_This life is like a game sometimes_

__

"Valan?" she whispered brokenly. "Valan?" But Valan was gone, and there was nothing she could do about it.

**LET'SCALLTHISTHELINE:DUMDUMDUMDUMDUM:THELINE!!!!!**

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_Then you came around me_

_The walls just disappeared_

_Nothing to surround me_

_Keep me from my fears_

_I'm unprotected_

_See how I've opened up_

_You've made me trust_

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It had been four years since that day, the day the chosen three (Yami, Seto, Joey) had defeated Darts and his horrible monster, four years since Mai had seen or talked to any of her old friends, but it was better that way, she had betrayed them. She couldn't face them. But it had also been four years since she had last seen Valanbut that was okay, too. She was over him.

"Mai!" her college friend, Holly Day, called, running over to her, waving arms madly in an attempt to stop her from getting into her car. "Girl, where have you been? I've been looking all over for you."

"What is it now?" she said, tossing her hair back over her shoulder with quick flick of her hand, so familiar she didn't even realize she was doing it. "Another update on your love life." Holly frowned.

"You know," Holly said in a very over-dramatically-hurt voice. "You don't have to be so bitter because you have renounced all men and I have the best boyfriend on the entire planet." Mai chose not to reply to that. Holly liked to talk simply for the pleasure of talking. Sometimes Mai wondered if Holly would shrivel up and die if she was in a quite place for more than five seconds.

Holly glared, and with her bright green eyes, that always looked quite impressive. Added to her flaming red hair, it made for quite an interesting sight -though at times it did remind Mai of a Christmas Tree. She hated it when Mai didn't take the bait, eagerly asked "Why, what's going on?" as if every bit of information she had was sacred and to be treasured and learned immediately.

For a few moments the stalemate continued and Mai opened the door to her convertible. At that moment, the second the sound of the door clicking open, it was clear to whom victory in this particular battle had gone.

"There's a rumor going around that a completely hot guy has shown up- and he's looking for you!" Well, that certainly stopped her in her tracks.

"Askingfor me?" Mai said, wondering whether to be flattered, freaked out, or suspicious. It was all to entirely possible Holly was just trying to trick her.

"Yeah," Holly nodded vigorously. "Of course, I haven't had a chance to personally see him yet, but that's because I didn't want to check him out unless you were by my side. After all, it would save the poor guy the trouble of having to follow me to you, and you know how concerned I am with helping people out of trouble."

"As long as those people have big blue eyes, are over six feet tall, and look like Orlando Bloom for the most part," Mai teased. Holly sighed dramatically.

"You know, if you'd just drop the cynical attitude there would be even more guys asking about you," Holly said seriously. To her, the circle of dating was a matter of life and death, and the only thing her love of it could be compared to was Yugi's love of Duel Monsters. And if that didn't get the point across, noting would.

"Oh no," Mai said in mock horror. "You've discovered the secret behind my awful personality. I'll have to kill you now before word gets out- I'd be ruined!"

"Oh, ha, ha," Holly said dryly. "What a lovely sense of humor you have."

"Don't I?" Mai said merrily, very much enjoying her friend's annoyance. Holly had steam practically pouring out of her ear as she hissed and stamped her foot. Why would no one take her seriously?

"Just come with me already!" Holly demanded. "We've got to go hunt this guys down!"

"_We_ have to do nothing. _You_ can go hunt the poor sap down if your heart so desires, but _I'm_ going to work," and with that parting note, Mai hopped into her car, pulled the door shut and started the engine. As she drove away she heard Holly shouting, "You're making a big mistake! This could be your big chance! For all you know he could be the one!"

Mai snorted at that. Only Holly would continually believe in the search for "the one" when no one had anyone meant for them. That was the philosophy that had gotten her threw her lonely childhood and that was the philosophy that she still lived by today. No one was "meant" for anyone, that was just the way it was.

**LET'SCALLTHISTHELINE:DUMDUMDUMDUMDUM:THELINE!!!!!**

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_I've never felt like this before_

_I'm naked around you_

_Does it show_

_You see right through me_

_And I can't hide_

_I'm naked around you_

_And it feels so right_

__

Mai worked at a bookstore after school and on the weekend. It wasn't a glamorous job, but it paid well enough and it was the farthest store in the city from any gaming shop. After the whole messed up ordeal she had give up Duel Monsters and kept herself a safe mile away from anywhere she might run into one.

Today she was behind the counter, her fellow employees getting the fun job of stacking books up in their proper places, accepting the new orders, and cleaning the store as needed. All she had to do was sit back, relax, and ring up the purchases that the few customers desired.

So, in the spinning chair she leaned back, placed on her headphones and started her MP3 player, letting the music wash over her. Absorbed as she was, she didn't look up as a new person walked in, didn't even hear the little ding the bell made, signaling the door's opened state.

But she did notice when a book was plopped down onto the counter in front of her. Having no wish to be fired, she stood up, fully ready to ring up the meager purchase.

However, when she glanced at the customer, what was usually a two-second look held in place indefinitely.

"Hello, Mai." Valan

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_Trying to remember_

_Why I was afraid_

_To be myself_

_And let the colors fall away_

_Guess I never had _

_Someone like you_

_To help me fit_

_In my skin_

__

_I've never felt like this before_

_I'm naked around you_

_Does it show_

_You see right through me_

_And I can't hide_

_I'm naked around you_

_And it feels so right_

__

**_Woah, this is far cry from "Artist's Window" if I do say so myself. Don't worry, anyone who's reading WW, I'm still gonna continue it, in fact I should be updating a few days. But, anyway, I dunno how many of you are like me and sadly watch Yu-Gi-Oh dutifully every weekend, but this weekend, the 2_****_nd_****_ episode, anyone who watched this must know why I had to go and write a Mai/Valan fic- they are just so perfect together: and besides: Joey is destined to be with Seto, a Joey/Mai relationship just doesn't work. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!! Remo_**


End file.
